There is often a need to transport a patient from a remote location to a hospital or similar medical care facility. When the patient has suffered injuries such as fractures, it is important to keep the patient relatively immobile to prevent patient movement that might exacerbate the injuries. Classically, the patient is placed upon a board and secured thereto via restraint straps to immobilize the patient. Additional restraining elements, such as devices to cradle the head of the patient, may also be attached to the board. The board provides a rigid support for the patient, and has handgrips to allow transporting personnel to readily grasp and carry the board.
Traditional boards create two problems for care of patients. First, the structure of the board may act to obscure x-rays taken with the patient on the board, even when the board is fabricated from a relatively x-ray transparent material such as plastic. This either requires the patient to be removed from the board, which risks additional injury due to such movement, or results in difficulty interpreting the x-rays, which may compromise the effectiveness of medical treatment. Obscuration of x-rays is particularly a problem when stiffening members are incorporated in the board to provide rigidity and these stiffening members extend across areas where x-rays are likely to be needed. A second problem results when the patient is placed on the board for long periods of time, which can cause severe discomfort due to the patient being secured against a hard surface.
An attempt to overcome both the problems of patient discomfort and obscuration of x-rays is the spinal and cervical immobilization device taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,662. This device employs a board with two beveled indentations, one located in the torso region of the patient and one in the head region. Padding is placed into these indentations to decrease the discomfort of the patient, while the beveled edges are intended to prevent obscuration of x-rays by the indentations. The board is fabricated by a resin transfer molding technique that is apparently intended to provide a board having adequate rigidity without incorporating additional stiffening members. While the padding of the '662 device may reduce discomfort, its placement in indentations makes the board unsuitable for use without the padding, since the beveled edges of the indentations would then create a hard, uneven surface for supporting the patient. In fact, these indentations may cause increased discomfort even when padding is employed, if the padding material is too compressible. The indentations also complicate cleaning and decontamination of the board if it becomes soiled by blood or other bodily fluids.
Another concern for transportation of patients is the provision of intravenous (IV) fluids during transport. U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,157 teaches a board that incorporates a pair of folding support members upon which IV fluid containers may be hung. However, the supports do not appear to be rigidly secured and reside on the periphery of the board, making them susceptible to impact during transport of the patient. Because the supports are not secured, impacts may dislodge the supports, which may then collapse if the board is jarred while being moved over rough terrain or loaded into a vehicle.
There is a need for a patent transportation and immobilization system which can provide immobilization and support of a patient without undue patient discomfort or obscuration of x-rays and which can provide secure support for an IV fluid container.